Former Explosive Magazine Turned into Cultural Venues — The Asia Society

Located in the former Victoria Barracks area, the Asia Society has taken over the former Explosive Magazines A and B as its venue of events and exhibition. The whole area comes with a holistic approach to historical preservation, art, ecology and architecture. The Asia Society established its branch in Hong Kong in 1990. The current site for the Asia Society was opened in 2012. The site consists of a new building and four other heritage buildings, with a connecting bridge and a podium with art exhibitions. The Starr-Greenberg Building is now the administrative office for Asia Society. Former Magazine A is now the Chantal Miller Gallery and it is the venue for exhibitions. Former Magazine B is now the Miller Theater. Some of the original features of the magazine turned out to serve unintended benefits for the theater. Finally, the GG Block close to the entrance of Asia Society is now also the office space for administration. Award-winning U.S. architect Tod Williams Billie Tsien Architects designed the complex with restoration, conservation and adaptation in mind. The entrance hall of Asia Society is lined with artificial marble from Iran, with patterns that echo the natural granite of Magazine A in the site. This is part of the effort to incorporate eco-friendly concepts in the site design. The Yasumoto Bridge is intended to be an ecological walkway, where pedestrians will enjoy bird viewing and their singsongs with the urban views of Hong Kong island on the side. On the hillside, the original fan palms there were preserved and new ones were planted to serve as a habitat for the short-nosed fruit bat. These fruit bats are seen at dusk. Of the many heritage sites at the Asia Society, I found the explosives track to be the most interesting. The history of the Former Explosives Magazines must be understood within the larger context of British strategic defense in this whole area of Admiralty. At one point in history, the Arsenal Yard was located at the seaside. Now this location is the Hong Kong Police Headquarters. Going north, the Arsenal Street used to be where the raw materials for ammunition and explosives were transported to the Victoria Barracks by the coolies. The workers must wear lint-free garment to avoid causing sparks when they transported the explosives. The architects have preserved the transportation tracks as a way to celebrate the unique history of the former Victoria Barracks. #militaryheritage #asiasociety #hongkongheritage #hongkonghistory #hongkongisland #admiralty #历史古迹 #historicbuilding #victoriabarracks #yasumotobridge #magazinea #historicallandmarks